03-06-2018, 08:27 PM
I think it would be difficult to argue that Uptown Waterloo can be "gentrified." Maybe a stronger case could be made for some neighbourhoods in Hamilton.
I think the people who throw that word around read too many articles about U.S. cities without realizing that the situation there is quite different. There they had white flight to the suburbs, followed by disinvestment (that's an understatement) in the minority-dominated inner cities, and now young affluent (and much more likely to be white) newcomers coming to bid up prices to the extent that incumbent residents feel pressure to leave. I also have the sense that these neighbourhoods have lower-than-average home ownership rates, and so those residents don't benefit financially from the process.
The pattern is quite different here, and I agree with you that added density does not constitute gentrification, particularly in an already advantaged area. One point those commenters might have is that recent developments do not offer residences of diverse forms, for instance- a lot of them do seem to cater specifically to young singles and childless couples.
I think the people who throw that word around read too many articles about U.S. cities without realizing that the situation there is quite different. There they had white flight to the suburbs, followed by disinvestment (that's an understatement) in the minority-dominated inner cities, and now young affluent (and much more likely to be white) newcomers coming to bid up prices to the extent that incumbent residents feel pressure to leave. I also have the sense that these neighbourhoods have lower-than-average home ownership rates, and so those residents don't benefit financially from the process.
The pattern is quite different here, and I agree with you that added density does not constitute gentrification, particularly in an already advantaged area. One point those commenters might have is that recent developments do not offer residences of diverse forms, for instance- a lot of them do seem to cater specifically to young singles and childless couples.